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An excellent glue for cake decorators but can be difficult to get glue out as you get nearer the end

When I started a cake decorating class recently on the list of suggested tools and materials was edible glue. As a keen papercrafter I am well used to working with glue although this is my first foray into the edible kind. Edible glue is used when making and attaching decorations such as flowers.

Whilst out shopping I spotted the Squires Kitchen Edible Glue as this was a brand that I had heard of and having used some of their other products I decided to give it a go. The glue itself is supplied in a small pot with flip top lid- the glue is clear and a similar consistency to shampoo. I would have preferred this glue to be supplied in a tube as it can be fiddly to get out when nearing the bottom of pot and would also make it much less tempting to just stick your paint brush in when you require only the smallest amount or have missed a bit a big no- no as it is important not to contaminate the glue with the mediums you are working with. It is therefore suggested to transfer a small amount onto/ or into something else to use.

The glue itself is easy to use and best applied with a small paintbrush or cocktail stick. I have found it to be very effective when making decorations and when attaching them to my cakes. You do did the smallest amount, applying too much can make your icing very wet and sticky, so using the right amount is key. It is also important to ensure you only apply glue where you need it as it will leave marks on your icing if accidentally applied in the wrong place.

It is possible to make your own edible glue and you can find recipes online, however I have yet to try this preferring the ease and convenience of pre-made. I find that a 20g pot lasts me quite some time and is therefore good value.

~Price & Availability~

Squires Kitchen Edible Glue is widely available from shops and online. A 20g pot currently costs £2.75 on the Amazon website.

~Recommend~

I would recommend this glue it is effective and easy to use and a pot lasts well- however I do think it would have been better supplied in a tube.

This review also appears on the CIAO website under the same username.

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Useful to have in your collection

Another essential item in my cake decorating kit is edible glue. It's another one you'll need if you're constructing sugar flowers, or doing any kind of modelling for cake decorating. Edible glue means you can stabilise your designs without worrying about food safety, because obviously it's safe to be eaten.

The glue comes in a little pot, with a secure lid to prevent any leakages. I used to carry this back and forth to college for my evening class for two years, and it's never leaked in my case. It costs around £1.95 for 18g, but a little pot lasts a while so it's actually not bad value. Although it's predominantly used for cake decorating, it can also be used for pastry. It usually has a sell-by date on it which is worth keeping an eye on, although I find it still works after the sell by date, and as I never eat the sugar flowers I make, I have no problem with using it when it's past its best.

The glue is used in the same way you'd use any glue, by dipping a paintbrush in and painting the area or item you wish to stick something to. I find the glue becomes mirky after a while, as you're dipping your brush in after it's been in contact with coloured sugarpaste, so it tends to make the glue a bit manky looking which can't be avoided unless you decant a little into another container each time you use it. Like I said earlier, it tends to be used for things which aren't actually going to be eaten in reality, because however nice sugar flowers look they don't taste too nice when they're rock solid and they usually have wires inserted.

The glue is good for intricate creations such as assembling layers of petals on flowers, but I find for larger items it isn't quite strong enough to hold things together. For example, I did a wedding cake for a friend a couple of years ago, where I was trying to stick sugar roses onto the side of the cake so they were cascading down three tiers. I wasn't confident that this glue was going to hold them as they were quite heavy, and had visions of the roses falling off one by one during the wedding, so my college tutor suggested I used royal icing instead and this seemed far more secure and avoided any cake disasters on the day.

You can actually make your own edible glue, simply by mixing any leftover fondant with water until it resembles the consistency of glue. However, this is something I've never remembered to do with leftovers, and it doesn't have as long a shelf-life as the proper stuff so I tend to just keep a bottle of this in my stash.